Tag: defence force

Day 147 to 165 of 365 Days of Gratitude – Black Hawk Anniversary

It’s been 18 days since I last gave gratitude on this blog. I’ve been grateful for many things in those 18 days and most of them deal with my health and being alive. We should have gratitude for every day we wake and live on our beautiful planet Earth. Lots of people have come and gone since I’ve lived, and I ponder why some left this journey early, while others (such as my nana who lived till 94) stay longer than, perhaps, they would have liked. And, mostly why do some die so young?

Have gratitude when you can wake each morning and see a new sunrise.

I am melancholy about this, as during these days the anniversary of The Black Hawk Accident occurred. 18 of our finest men died in that tragic incident June 12th 1996. 15 were SAS soldiers and one of them was Corporal Brett Tombs, a dear school friend. Many Australians will remember when the two Black Hawks collided over Townsville and how we mourned as a nation when we heard of the tragedy.

I think of Brett and his family each year and wish he could still be here with Gaye (who I also went to school with) and their two children, watching them grow up. It’s one of those things that, even twenty years later, you still don’t quiet believe that it happened. It resonates with me further because two of my sons have been in the defence force (one did three tours of duty). The Black Hawk incident shows that even in peacetime, there is always danger of some kind protecting our country. RIP Brett Tombs and all the young men of The Black Hawk.

You can read this tear-jerking account from last year’s Courier Mail, featuring Brett’s daughter Giverny. Brett would have been so proud of her and his son, Josh. I am grateful for something through that, and that is that his children have wonderful uncles (Brett’s brothers) who love his children and do their utmost to fill some of Brett’s void for them. It’s poignant and bittersweet.

So, for these 18 days of gratitude, let’s just say I’m truly grateful that all my family are safe and that we are here.

Reflect on what you were doing on the day of The Black Hawk Accident 21 years ago.